The St. Mirren FC 2023/24 thread

[capt_oats]

On 10/03/2023 at 10:47, Shuggie_Murray7 said:

They've all been excellent. Our summer additions have been brilliant, but O'Hara has probably been the most consistent of the lot for me. I never really appreaciated how good he was at Motherwell. Definitely someone I over looked for a few years who is far better than I thought he was.

In fairness, O'Hara only ever threatened to be good for us.

I think most of us could see what the idea of MOH was in the team but we never got anything like the sort of consistency you guys have - and that was under both Robinson and Alexander.

In that respect it's not really much of a surprise if you overlooked him.

He spent a large part of his time at Fir Park injured and the rest of the time it was never really clear what his best position was.

He bounced between holding mid which he didn't have the discipline to play effectively, attacking mid where he wasn't technical enough and centre back which is probably where he looked best for us.

To put it into context he only started 14 league games for us last season and made a total of 19 league appearances - so he didn't play in half our league games. The rumour is that he was one of our higher earners (Robinson fucking loved him and paid a fee to Peterboro to get him permanently ahead of you guys).

With the amount of football he missed, it's not entirely surprising we were quite lukewarm about keeping hold of him. We eventually offered him a deal but it was pretty late in the day so I'd imagine he'd have been in conversation with St Mirren for a while beforehand and I'd guess it would have been on reduced terms compared to what he was originally on with us or what you guys would have been prepared to offer.

Quote

I'm still in disbelief that Carson plays for us, yet Dundee United have had a goalkeeping crisis all season long. Absolutely mental decision from them.

Like @Swello I'm delighted to see Carson's doing well. At his peak he was easily in the top bracket of goalkeepers we've had along with the likes of Ruddy, Randolph and Gillespie.

It was just unfortunate that he seemed to have a series of sliding doors moments that were pretty much entirely outside of his control.

I noticed he'd confirmed recently that the deal was in place for him to go to Celtic but it fell over because Freddie Woodman chose to go to Aberdeen when he was en route to us. That was always the rumour but it's interesting that he's confirmed it.

Then you've got the DVT issue, added to Gillespie stepping in and being an excellent goalkeeper for us which cost Carson his place. With the way his final season played out with Robinson rushing him back from a knee injury then him breaking down again after one game it was pretty tough for him.

I think it was actually more Carson's decision to leave United than them opting to bin him.

Reading between the lines he moved on from us because he'd been promised 1st team games at Tannadice as they were expecting to sell Siegrist and we had invested in Kelly plus with his injury record a completely fresh start probably felt like a good idea for everyone.

I imagine he'd have seen a wage bump but the fact that they didn't move Siegrist on and he effectively swapped our bench for theirs means I can see why he'd have felt quite sour with the way things panned out.

It's no real surprise to see him extend with you guys though. He's spoken before that Robinson is incredibly good with his man management and is accommodating with his family situation: https://www.glasgowworld.com/sport/football/international/trevor-carson-motherwell-goalkeeper-reveals-how-stephen-robinsons-superb-man-management-helped-persuade-him-to-stay-2916729

Edited March 11, 2023 by capt_oats

[djchapsticks]

1 minute ago, capt_oats said:

 

He bounced between holding mid which he didn't have the discipline to play effectively, attacking mid where he wasn't technical enough and centre back which is probably where he looked best for us.

He's actually never played Centre half for us, I didn't even know that was an option to be honest.

He's being played sort of in a more box to box role now. The type of role that someone like Stephen McGinn was best suited to, and it's really suiting his style of play.

I've no doubt that if he was demonstrating the sort of form he has this season at a club like Hibs or Hearts, there'd be some chat of him getting called up to the national team at least for a shot in a friendly.

[capt_oats]

36 minutes ago, djchapsticks said:

He's actually never played Centre half for us, I didn't even know that was an option to be honest.

He played right sided centre back and as I say, it was probably the best fit he had during his time with us.

Quote

A defensive injury crisis led to gaffer Stephen Robinson installing the 24-year-old midfielder in defence for a Premiership encounter against the Highlanders which saw O’Hara score ’Well’s second goal from the penalty spot.

“The last time I played at centre back was actually in my Kilmarnock days,” O’Hara, with Killie from 2012 to 2016, told the Times and Speaker.

“I think I played there when I was 17 or 18 for a run of games.

“Last season I played there for Peterborough in pre-season, then the manager spoke to me through the week as we had problems with injuries and people not being available and he asked if I’d be comfortable, and I said ‘yeah actually, I enjoy playing there.

“I feel you get plenty of time on the ball, and I think it suits me.

“Especially in this team, we actually build a lot from the back.

“Probably you’re involved a lot more than what you’d be in other styles of play.

“I’ve not looked at the stats but on Saturday I think it would be the most passes I’ve had in a game this season because I had so much of the ball.

“The other side of it – the defending side – maybe comes quite naturally, heading and stuff like that, so it wasn’t too foreign being in there.

“A lot can change in a week in football, but I’d be more than happy and willing to do it if I need to play there again next week and in the future.”

Link

Edited March 10, 2023 by capt_oats

[medals]

Well done to ICT. Killie are gash.

Anybody missing Power and Jones?

Didn't think Henderson was that great either. 3 good cross, missed a 1 on 1 and other than a few tackles and passes in flashes that was it.

Oh and Ridgers is still a bombscare too.

Hope this period is letting players recover for the final push into top 6.

[houston_bud]

2 hours ago, medals said:

Well done to ICT. Killie are gash.

Anybody missing Power and Jones?

Didn't think Henderson was that great either. 3 good cross, missed a 1 on 1 and other than a few tackles and passes in flashes that was it.

Oh and Ridgers is still a bombscare too.

Hope this period is letting players recover for the final push into top 6.

There was a spell last season of about 5-10 games where Power was our best player. But by the end of the season he was well down the pecking order.

Jones was rotten for us and it always annoyed me that he was given a game ahead of Henderson. Henderson seems to have done well at Inverness. 

[Kempes]

Thought Jay played well last night and was a candidate for man of the match. Some good crosses, hit the post, got the better of their left back on several occasions and worked hard for the team defensively. Could have scored when through on the keeper but a decent save. Not a bad contribution, all things considered. Jones and Power were poor, as were their teammates.

[Torfason]

Watched Killie a few times and Danny Armstrong looks a decent player. Out of contract at the end of the season, so hopefully Robbo is looking at him.

[capt_oats]

Just now, Torfason said:

Watched Killie a few times and Danny Armstrong looks a decent player. Out of contract at the end of the season, so hopefully Robbo is looking at him.

Armstrong signed a 2 year extension at the start of the season. He's with them until 2025.

https://kilmarnockfc.co.uk/news/danny-armstrong-pens-contract-extension/#:~:text=Kilmarnock Football Club are pleased,the club until May 2025.

[Torfason]

5 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Armstrong signed a 2 year extension at the start of the season. He's with them until 2025.

https://kilmarnockfc.co.uk/news/danny-armstrong-pens-contract-extension/#:~:text=Kilmarnock Football Club are pleased,the club until May 2025.

Cheers, hopefully he has a relegation clause then

[Buttocks Brown]

Jak Alnwick sent off on his league debut for Cardiff today. Very similar to his red card v Dundee Utd (I think) last season when he ran out of his box and poleaxed the centre forward.

[ZingaliMan]

Robinson expected to be unveiled as Aberdeen manager. Why us how come Motherwell have no problem holding onto Robinson given his success there. Now at Saints hardly time to let the paint dry and Aberdeen come in. My fingers are crossed but I'm sure money talks. Gutted

[SS77]

3 minutes ago, ZingaliMan said:

Robinson expected to be unveiled as Aberdeen manager. Why us how come Motherwell have no problem holding onto Robinson given his success there. Now at Saints hardly time to let the paint dry and Aberdeen come in. My fingers are crossed but I'm sure money talks. Gutted

Who’s expecting him to be unveiled by Aberdeen? You’ve made that up.

[truesaint]

26 minutes ago, ZingaliMan said:

Robinson expected to be unveiled as Aberdeen manager. Why us how come Motherwell have no problem holding onto Robinson given his success there. Now at Saints hardly time to let the paint dry and Aberdeen come in. My fingers are crossed but I'm sure money talks. Gutted

Stick £100 on him with betvictor at 33-1. That should cheer you up. 

[Torfason]

Stephen Robinson in not the same person as Barry Robson shocker 

[djchapsticks]

33 minutes ago, ZingaliMan said:

Robinson expected to be unveiled as Aberdeen manager. Why us how come Motherwell have no problem holding onto Robinson given his success there. Now at Saints hardly time to let the paint dry and Aberdeen come in. My fingers are crossed but I'm sure money talks. Gutted

Simon Ferry has said he'd be a good fit. How is that 'expected to be unveiled'.

If that was the case, the club would have said there had been an approach that was accepted. You genuinely need to stop this.

[ZingaliMan]

7 minutes ago, djchapsticks said:

Simon Ferry has said he'd be a good fit. How is that 'expected to be unveiled'.

If that was the case, the club would have said there had been an approach that was accepted. You genuinely need to stop this.

Came up on Google headline suggested it's a done deal. I'm taking it at face value but hey if it's a load of shit then I'm absolutely delighted. 

[djchapsticks]

8 minutes ago, ZingaliMan said:

Came up on Google headline suggested it's a done deal. I'm taking it at face value but hey if it's a load of shit then I'm absolutely delighted. 

Provide a link to it. 

There's nothing on Google about Stephen Robinson to Aberdeen aside from Simon Ferry saying he'd be decent.

[djchapsticks]

Literally the only Stephen Robinson to Aberdeen stories. All based on the Simon Ferry podcast.

[IrishBhoy]

On 05/02/2023 at 18:30, sergie's no1 fan said:

 

With that one boy converting, it's worth it. There must be more like him too.

 

I was sitting in the main stand at the recent home game against Celtic, and I got talking to the two fellows sitting beside me before the game started. One of them told me he was the father of the West Stand side linesman for that game, and going by his reaction to the second half Celtic comeback it was clear that he was not upset by the final score line. I made sure to celebrate O’Hara’s penalty as close to him as I could while he sat with his face tripping him. That’s not to cast aspersions on his son’s abilities to officiate the game fairly I should add, and makes no difference to the point I’m about to make. 
 

About 5 minutes into the game he pointed towards the family stand (we were in section M7) and made comment about how many empty seats there was, and how it would look better for television if that stand was fully occupied. He said he had seen Celtic fans outside the ground looking for tickets and it wasn’t right that they were unable to attend the game when there was so many empty seats. He didn’t actually make this comment towards me but I was sitting directly to his left, and couldn’t let it pass without retorting. I told him that Celtic receive the same allocation as every other team in the league, and St Mirren fans overwhelmingly voted to keep our Family Stand for St Mirren fans only, a stand made up of mostly young season ticket holders worth much more to the club than Celtic fans that turn up once or twice a year. He replied by saying that selling the stand to Celtic fans was ‘worth 2 or 3 extra players for St Mirren’. I quickly realised I was dealing with a genuinely simple mind and just aimed a smile combined with a slight nod in his direction, unable to find anything to say back to him when faced with such close range idiocy. 
 

My friends kids have had tickets for the family stand a couple of times this season from their schools, and that along with seeing the picture posted above should ensure we never return to handing over that stand to the Old Firm. If we continue looking after our young fans, hopefully enticing them back to St Mirren Park by playing good football and getting good results, then that will stand us in good stead in the future as far as attendances are concerned, and will bring in multiple times the money of a fleeting Old Firm sell out. The entitlement of OF fans in thinking that they somehow deserve to have every available seat in their opponents stadium will never fail to baffle me, although when teams like Livingston and St Johnstone are handing over 3 sides to them it’s no wonder they think the way they do. 

[IrishBhoy]

3 hours ago, djchapsticks said:

Literally the only Stephen Robinson to Aberdeen stories. All based on the Simon Ferry podcast.

Ahh, Simon Ferry’s Open Goal podcast, the calling card of people with a single figure IQ. Almost exclusively watched by OF fans, and it’s hard to criticise Ferry for that to be fair. The fact that he has managed to assemble a panel where he is by far the most intelligent person is quite an accomplishment given how fucking stupid he is. Kevin Kyle and Paul Slane would make the Paisley Panda look like Nostradamus.